A system model and inversion for synthetic aperture radar imaging

A system model and its corresponding inversion for synthetic aperture radar imaging are presented. The system model incorporates the spherical nature of a radar's radiation pattern at far field. The inverse method based on this model integrates the recorded signals at various coordinates of a translational radar (linear array) via a spatial Fourier transform. The transformed data are shown to provide samples of the spatial Fourier transform of the target's reflectivity function. The inverse method can be modified to incorporate deviations of the radar's motion from its prescribed straight-line path. These principles are also applicable in inverse synthetic aperture imaging of a rotational target (circular array).